Method of and apparatus for coiling continuous filament yarn and yarn produced thereby



April 1965 G. A. CA'RRUTHERS 3,178,794

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COILING CONTINUOUS FILAMENT YARN AND YARN PRODUCED THEREBY Filed Jan. 4, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

GEORGE A. CARRUTHERS FIG. I.

ATTORNEY G. A. CARRUTHERS D APPA April 20, 1965 METHOD OF AN RATUS FOR COILING CONTINUOU FILAMEN'I YARN AND YARN PRODUCED THEREBY Filed Jan. 4, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2.

INVENTOR. GEORGE A. CARRUTHERS ATTORNEY April 1965 G. A. CARRUTHERS 3,178,794

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COILING CONTINUOUS FILAMENT YARN AND YARN PRODUCED THEREBY Filed Jan. 4, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 25 FIG. 3. 0

F I G. 4.

INVENTOR.

GEORGE A. CARRUTHERS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,178,794 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FGR COIHNG CONTINUOUS FILAMENT YARN AND YARN PRODUCED THEREBY George A. Carruthers, Harleysville, Pa., assignor to Turbo Machine Company, Lansdale, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Jan. 4, 1062, Ser. No. 164,270 6 Claims. (Cl. 28-1) This invention relates to the deformation of continuous filament yarns, in which term is included single filament threads used in the textile industry for special purposes, and is especially directed to a method of and apparatus for so treating the yarn as to conform it substantially to a continuous helix with the result that when stress relieved and further treated a novel fluffy resilient soft yarn having out-of-phase relationship among the helices of its individual filaments is provided for knitting into garments or other purposes.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a method of treating a continuous filament yarn by projecting it axially into impingement with a relatively non-yielding obstruction to cause it to coil itself into a helix of small diameter in which form it may be stress relieved by heat treatment to set permanently in the individual filaments of the yarn the helical conformation thus produced.

A further object is to provide a method of feeding a yarn of the character aforesaid against an obstruction in such manner as to cause the formation of a continuous helical coil of substantially similar convolutions and thereafter by suitable stress relieving treatment to fix the helical conformation of its filaments as a permanent characteristic enabling further treatment in accordance with the invention to bring the individual coiled filaments into out-ofphase relationship with respect to each other and thereby provide an open soft fiulfy stretchable yarn of approximately the same maximum transverse dimension as the initial helical coil.

A still further object is to provide apparatus of the character aforesaid including means for controlling the dimensions of the thus formed helix together with provision for maintaining continuity in the lead of the helical coil into which the yarn is formed.

Yet another of its objects is to provide a novel continuous multiple filament yarn in which the individual filaments are initially formed into substantially congruent helical coils and by further treatment axially displaced in relation to each other resulting in a yarn of relatively large diameter having voids between adjacent helically disposed filaments whereby the softness of the yarn is greatly enhanced.

Other objects, purposes and advantages of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear or be understood from the following description in which reference will be had to the accompanying drawings illustrating largely schematically a preferred embodiment of the apparatus comprised therein wherein:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a similarly enlarged fragmentary front elevation thereof in which the form of the yarn coils is merely diagrammatically indicated;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section on line 33 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a still further enlarged fragmentary detail of the yarn feeding and coiling elements just following initiation of a yarn coiling operation in which the diameter of the yarn is greatly exaggerated, and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the yarn itself in which for convenience of illustration a S-filament yarn is shown and the diameter of the individual yarn filaments magnified.

These drawings are to be deemed as exemplary only of novel apparatus suitable for carrying out the method of the invention but do not necessarily indicate it cannot be performed by other means which may be devised for the purpose.

It is well known that continuous filaments suitable for textile uses are produced in diameters of the order of 0.001" and that ordinarily a number of them are twisted together to form multiple filament yarn; the present invention is concerned with treatment of such yarns, preferably of the type characterized as low twist, i.e., with about 1-2 turns per inch, although it is effective as well in treatment of high twist yarns and of monofilaments devoid of twist.

More particularly the said apparatus comprises basically a pair of driven feed rolls ll, 2 which may be of equal or unequal diameter as preferred; at least one should be about A" or less in diameter. They are mounted respectively on shafts 3, 4 the former running in suitable bearings 5 in a leaf 6 swingable on a shaft 7 carried by the main housing 8 of the machine while roll 2, on shaft 4, is mounted in bearings 10, 11 in the housing and mating pinions 15, 16 on the respective shafts mesh together to drive the rolls in opposite directions when pinion 16 is driven from a spur gear 17 on shaft 18 carrying a sheave 19 over which a belt 20 running to a suitable prime mover (not shown) passes to rotate gear 17 and hence the rolls.

Leaf 6 on which shaft 3 is mounted is controlled by an adjustable yielding roll-pressuring means of any suitable nature such as a knurled knob 24 threaded into a bracket 25 fixed to the housing and controlling a spring 26 surrounding a plunger 27 and bearing against the leaf whereby the pressure of the rolls against a yarn Y moving be tween them may be adjusted to any suitable value. The yarn Y is drawn from a source (not shown) and passes to the rolls through a yarn tensioning device D of conventional character and a guide which may comprise a pair of aligned cylindrical ceramic pins 30, 31 mounted with their axes normal to those of the rolls on a bracket 32 secured to the housing. This guide, whatever be its specific form, should be capable of maintaining the feed of the yarn to the nip of the rolls at the same point axially of them and is therefore placed as close to the rolls as practicable.

If desired, conventional means (not shown) for preheating the yarn during its passage to the rolls may be positioned between the tensioning device and the guide; a smooth metal plate heated to 400600 F. by a radiant heating unit may be used for the purpose.

Adjacent one of the rolls and adjustable relatively thereto about its axis of rotation is a segmental plate 33 secured to an arcuate boss 34 on housing 8 by a headed screw 35 entered in an arcuate slot 37 in the boss and conforming to an arc struck from the roll axis whereby the angular relation of the plate to the direction of travel of yarn Y as it is drawn between the rolls can be adjusted within a limited range. This plate and the leaf 6 carry restrictor guides 40, 41 yieldingly supported on leaf springs 42, 43 controlled by screws 44, 45 and presenting knife edges 46, 47 engaging and conforming to the respective rolls and substantially parallel surfaces 48, 49 defining opposite sides of a path for the coiled yarn.

In the operation of this apparatus in accordance with the invention the continuous filament yarn Y is threaded through tensioning device D from a suitably positioned cop (not shown), between guide pins 30, 31 and rolls 1, 2 and the latter then set in motion at fairly high speed, for example 12,000 to 15,000 rpm, although much higher speeds can be used within the capabilities of the mechanical elements employed.

Upon appropriate adjustment of the roll pressuring means this rotation of the rolls subject the yarn to appreciable pressure as it passes the nip of the rolls and is projected axially therefrom at a linear speed comparable to the peripheral speed of the rolls themselves and on encountering an obstruction be it the guiding face of one of the restrictor guides, or an obstructing implement temporarily introduced between the latter for the purpose, the moving yarn, following the path of least resistance, automatically forms itself into helical coils, initially of diameter approximating the spacing of the guide faces (PEG. 4). Succeeding coils thereupon rapidly accumulate in the space between the said faces and as they progressively occupy it the point at which axial progress of the yarn is obstructed by previous convolutions builds up toward the roll nip, forcing the yarn to form progressively smaller diameter coils until pressure sufiicient to overcome the frictional drag of said faces on the coils forces them from between said faces to be progressively replaced in said space by a more or less heterogeneous mass of succeeding ones. Hence the spacing of said faces is a factor in determining the diameter of the initial helical convolutions in the yarn, which corresponds generally to said spacing, but subsequent convolutions, whose diameter is more directly related to the resistance offered to progress of the coils away from the nip of the rolls, are smaller and are thus only indirectly controlled, through their frictional engagement with the guide faces, by the spacing of the latter. 7

The thus formed coils then pass from between the guide faces to a suitable container (not shown) preparatory to further treatment including either batch or continuous stress relieving heat treatment to impart a permanent set to the helical form of the fibers before subjection to tensioning operations adapted to extend and relax the fibers successively a number of times to unphase their helices, rendering the yarn fiuffy and light as indicated in FIG. 5.

When the opposed faces of the restrictor guides are disposed at equal distances from the plane of tangency of rolls 1, 2 there is sometimes a tendency for the yarn to issue erratically from between these faces whereas when they are disposed asymmetrically, i.e., at different distances from that plane, the formation of the yarn into a substantially uniform helix continues indefinitely, the adjustment of plate 33 determining the asymmetry.

It is important moreover that the restrictor guides present edge surfaces closely conforming to the rolls and preferably in contact therewith, as if the clearance between the guides and the rolls is not less than about one-half the diameter of the individual filaments in the yarn being treated, i.e., of the order 0.0005 or less one or more filaments may be trapped between the restrictor guide and the roll and interrupt the smooth flow of the yarn, usually necessitating shutting down the machine for adjustment.

Many filamentary materials tend when projected or deposited axially against an obstruction either to coil helically or to form themselves into fiat spiral Flemish coils rather than to deform at random, and it may be the disposition of stresses which induces such action is somewhat comparable to that which causes the coils to form, in substantially non-rigid continuous filament yarns in accordance with my invention, although this possible analogy is here mentioned for purposes of exposition only and so not to be regarded as a statement of fact.

It is essential, however, that the rolls for projecting the yarn and the obstruction against which it is projected be disposed in such proximity as to enable the moving yarn to span the space between them and form coils at the zone of the obstruction which must therefore be of sufiicient width laterally with relation to its distance from the roll nip to accommodate the coils. Large diameter rolls, however, recede only gradually from the roll nip and it is impractical with such rolls to maintain close enough to the roll nip and obstructing zone of width sufiicient to enable coils to form, with the result that with such rolls the yarn, if deformed, accumulates in accordion-like or saw-tooth crimps as distinguished from the coils result ing from the practice of my invention.

It will be understood, moreover, that many variables contribute to the optimum results attainable by such practice and hence for helical coiling of a continuous filament yarn of any specific material manipulation and adjustments may be required in consideration of such factors as the size and number of the individual filaments in the yarn, its twist, moisture content and temperature as supplied to the rolls, the diameter, speed, surface finish and temperature of the latter, the frictional characteristics of the restrictor guide surfaces, their spacing and angularity, the extent to which they are asymmetrically disposed With respect to the plane of tangency of the rolls, ambient temperature and humidity and the like. Moreover the specific chemistry of the yarn fibers themselves may affect the results and for a predetermined setting of all mechanical and meteorological variables yarn of given denier and filament denier made, for example, from nylon, may respond differently from one of like denier and filament denier composed of a polyester terephthalate or of other composition.

As a more specific example of the practice of my invention, using smooth polished steel rolls 1, 2 of small diameter such as A1 operating at extremely high periph eral speeds of the order of several hundred feet per minute, with smooth faced parallel carbon restrictor guides spaced about /s apart and disposed a few hundredths of an inch asymmetrically with respect to the plane of tangency of the rolls, 40 denier nylon yarn of low twist under fairly average conditions for all the. other variables forms a helical coil about A diameter and, before tensioning, 50-100 turns per inch which when heat-set and then alternately stretched and relaxed a number of times results in an open fluffy diaphanous yarn of longitudinally spaced out-of-phase helical filaments including substantial voids or air spaces within its approximately overall diameter, the denier of the yarn in its relaxed state being thereby substantially increased due to a given length of it containing a linear amount of filament substantially greater than the original uncoiled yarn normally affording an elongation of perhaps or more from its relaxed state before reaching its elastic limits.

' While I have herein described my invention with considerable particularity and especially with reference to novel apparatus I have invented for carrying out the method it contemplates to produce a yarn which is new and useful in that it comprises filaments of helical contour disposed in out-of-phase relationship thus defining a minute open core tubular structure of greatly enhanced resilience and elasticity as compared with the yarn from which it is produced, I do not desire or intend to be limited or confined thereto or thereby in any way as changes and modifications other than those herein mentioned not only in the apparatus but in the several steps of the method and in the form, structure and filament relationship in the yarn itself will readily occur to those skilled in the art and may be utilized if desired without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. 7

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. The method of deforming a continuous filament yarn which comprises the steps of projecting the yarn axially between a pair of parallel rolls at least one of which is'not greater than A" in diameter into a space defined by a pair of parallel opposed guide surfaces spaced apart between one and two times the radius of said last mentioned roll and into impingement with an obstruction disposed in said space to thereby form the yarn filament into a substantially uniform helical coil having a diameter substantially equal to the spacing of said guide surfaces and While the yarn is so coiled subjecting it to a stress relieving operation.

2. In a method of coiling a continuous filament, the step of projecting the filament axially between a pair of parallel rolls at least one of which is not greater than A" in diameter into a space defined by a pair of parallel opposed guide surfaces spaced apart between one and two times the radius of said last mentioned roll and into impingement with an obstruction disposed in said space comprising a frictionally retained mass of the coiled filament.

3. In a method of coiling a continuous filament, the step of projecting the filament axially between a pair of parallel rolls at least one of which is not greater than A" in diameter into a space defined by a pair of parallel opposed guide surfaces spaced apart between one and two times the radius of said last mentioned roll and against a relatively non-yielding obstruction disposed in said space comprising a progressively moving mass of coiled filament frictionally retained in the space between said guide surfaces adjacent the point from which the filament is projected.

4. The method of treating continuous filament yarn to transform it into a yarn consisting of a plurality of coaxial helical filaments disposed in out-of-phase relationship axially of the yarn, which comprises the steps of projecting the yarn axially at relatively high linear speed from between a pair of parallel rolls rotating in opposite directions at substantially equal peripheral speed at least one of which is not greater than A" in diameter into engagement with an obstruction tending substantially to reduce that speed and thereby cause the yarn to assume helical form, frictionally retaining a mass of the so-formed yarn adjacent the zone of obstruction and in the path of succeeding yarn and controlling the degree of frictional resistance to ejection of the formed yarn from adjacent the zone of obstruction to thereby maintainv a substantially uniform spacing of the obstruction Zone from the yarn projecting means.

5. Apparatus for coiling filamentary material which comprises a pair of parallel substantially tangential feed rolls at least one of which is not greater than A" in diameter and means presenting relatively non-yielding plane surfaces disposed adjacent the nip of the rolls parallel to their plane of tangency and spaced apart between one and two times the radius of said last mentioned roll respectively engaging the rolls for frictionally retaining adjacent the roll nip a mass of the material after passing said nip to thereby cause the succeeding material to form a helical coil, the diameter of which is substantially equal to the spacing of said surfaces.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 in which said retaining means and said surfaces extend in parallel relation asymmetrically with respect to said plane of tangency.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,978,407 10/34 Cadgene 28-72 2,369,395 2/45 Heyman 28-81 2,623,266 12/52 Hemmi 28-81 2,734,228 2/56 Hay 19-66 2,790,208 4/57 Smith 19-66 2,793,418 5/57 Pfau 28-72 2,854,701 10/58 Rainard 19-66 2,865,080 12/ 58 Hentschel 19-66 2,914,810 12/59 Robinson et al 19-66 2,926,392 3/60 Jackson 19-66 2,933,771 4/ 60 Weinstock 28-72 2,949,659 8/60 Heijnis et al 28-1 3,046,633 7/62 Ohashi et a1 28-72 FOREIGN PATENTS 230,339 2/59 Australia.

861,502 2/ 61 Great Britain.

872,496 7/61 Great Britain.

References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,820,278 1/ 5 8 Mariani et al. 2,875,502 3/59 Matthews et al. 2,972,795 2/ 61 Backer et al.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

RUSSELL C. MADER, DONALD W. PARKER,

Examiners. 

1. THE METHOD OF DEFORMING A CONTINUOUS FILAMENT YARN WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF PROJECTING THE YARN AXIALLY BETWEEN A PAIR OF PARALEL ROLLS AT LEAST ONE OF WHICH IS NOT GREATER THAN 1/4" IN DIAMETER INTO A SPACE DEFINED BY A PAIR OF PARALLEL OPPOSED GUIDE SURFACES SPACED APART BETWEEN ONE AND TWO TIMES THE RADIUS OF SAID LAST MENTIONED ROLL AND INTO IMPINGEMENT WITH AN OBSTRUCTION DISPOSED IN SAID SPACE TO THEREBY FORM THE YARN FILAMENT INTO A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM HELICAL COIL HAVING A DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE SPACING OF SAID GUIDE SURFACES AND WHILE THE YARN IS SO COILED SUBJECTING IT TO A STRESS RELIEVING OPERATION.
 5. APPARATUS FOR COILING FILAMENTARY MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES A PAIR OF PARALLEL SUBSTANTIALLY TANGENTIAL FEED ROLLS AT LEAST ONE OF WHICH IS NOT GREATER THEN 1/4" IN DIAMETER AND MEANS PRESENTING RELATIVELY NON-YIELDING PLANE SURFACES DISPOSED ADJACENT THE NIP OF THE ROILLS PARALLEL TO THEIR PLANE OF TANGENCY AND SPACED APART BETWEEN ONE AND TWO TIMES THE RADIUS OF SAID LAST MENTIONED ROLL RESPECTIVELY ENGAGING THE ROLLS FOR FRICTIONALLY RETAINING ADJACENT THE ROLL NIP A MASS OF THE MATERIAL AFTER PASSING SAID NIP TO THEREBY CAUSE THE SUCCEEDING MATERIAL TO FORM A HELICAL COIL, THE DIAMETER OF WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE SPACING OF SAID SURFACES. 